Layoffs follow move by NDP to ban unpaid work by flight attenants
Air Canada is reducing its management workforce by roughly 400 positions, or about 1% of its total staff.
The employer "arrived at the difficult decision" following an "extensive review," said Christophe Hennebelle, vice-president of corporate communications, according to a CBC report.
“Air Canada regularly reviews its resources and processes to ensure they are optimised to efficiently support business operations and its customers."
Hennebelle did not clarify whether the reductions would be achieved through attrition or by not filling vacant positions. However, he emphasised that the cuts would “not have any impact on day-to-day operations,” notes CBC.
The layoffs came on the same day Air Canada announced a major expansion at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport with new transborder routes to four major U.S. cities and increased daily flights to Montréal and Ottawa.
The layoffs follow a move by New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Don Davies to introduce legislation that will ban unpaid work for flight attendants.
“It’s not fair to expect anyone to work without pay, yet this practice has existed for years for Canadian flight attendants,” he said. “This is unacceptable and must end."
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